Distribution as a strategic key in the publishing sector Evolution of the network of points of sale

ABSTRACT

This communication has a two fold purpose, on the one hand, to partially present the results of a project covering the current situation of the periodical publications industry across Spain and, on the other, to serve as a starting point for a subsequent analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic onto this sector. This report concentrates on analysing the importance of distribution within the printed periodical publications sector and herein addresses the study of the evolution of the points of sale in Spain, drastically affected by the impacts of Digital Society. The approach focuses on a territorial perspective, with the analysis divided by autonomous regions. Points of sale data and associated trends are compared against population and area data in order to determine the evolution in terms of geographical coverage, given the particular nature of the type of product that is commercialized - to some extent it acts as a guarantor of a fundamental right, in terms of democratic quality, such as the access to information. The results, based on the available data comprising the time preceding the COVID pandemic, are not encouraging at all, reporting a marked decline in the number of points of sale across the nation and, subsequently, a drop in the number of stores per square kilometer and by population. This indicates a fall in the ease of access to these products by the general population in some cases, these being the only ones that specific groups of society have when accessing information provided by printed publications, as well as for certain entertainment purposes, in particular in regions of the country identified with the 'Espana Vaciada' (the hollowed-out Spain) slogan.